DO M D ELUCA ON THE ROAD
A NDR EA S K L EER U P L IF E, DEATH A ND MU S IC
A N T H O N Y LI S T E R THROWING SHAPES AROUND
AT H E N S C IT Y O F N E I G H BO RHO O D S
SUPERLATIVE CONSPIRACY G I O VAN NI RIBISI SHOT BY GI O VAN NI RED A
9
WORDS FROM ABOVE
[001]
Luck is often put in relation to a person’s success, how they were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. But what happened before that? How did they get to be in that place, just when they needed to be? ‘The harder I work the luckier I seem to get…’ is a famous quote by Thomas Jefferson that seems to apply to everyone we at WeSC look up to and are inspired by - point in case, everyone featured in this 9th edition of The Superlative Conspiracy Magazine. Giovanni Ribisi is our cover story talking to Giovanni Reda about how acting can be like a pie in the face. Erik Pettersson and Raul Navarro tell us about the Barcelona skate scene - then and now. Andreas Kleerup talks about everything at the same time, but mostly music and death, while Anthony Lister shares his latest pieces of art that feel more alive than ever. We have fashion stories shot by David Shadi Perez, Fredrik Etoall and the Chavez Twins. We feature throwbacks to the death metal world of the 80’s featuring Anthrax, Manson, Pantera and many more courtesy of Dom De Luca. We party in Berlin/New York/Gothenburg, skate in Cuba, and take a tour of Athens. Ricky Powell shares his first commissioned photo and Damiani is our inspiration symbolized by an iconic Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari photo… last but not least, we are proud to feature Sweden’s first Formula 1 driver in 23 years; Marcus Ericsson. They all worked hard to even have the opportunity to be in the right place at the right time. By that everyday grind they are lucky indeed, ‘cause they get to work with what they love everyday. Make this spring your time to get lucky [Daft Punk pun intended].
[002]
[006]
[014]
[018]
[022]
CONT RIBUT ORS
C OV ER G IOVA NNI R IB IS I
CURRENT CSR
S K AT E B A R C E LO N A ERIK PETTERSSON
M USI C A N D R E AS KLE E R UP
[026]
[038]
[050]
[068]
[076]
ART ANT HON Y LIST ER
FASHION S U MMER L OV E
FA S H I O N LO S M O M E N T S
FA S H I O N I N YO U R H E A D
We A C T I V I S T M A R C US E RI CSSO N
[080]
[090]
[100]
[110]
[112]
LIFESTYLE V I K TO R RISIN G
L IF ES TY L E V INTA G E DOM DEL U C A
PHOTOS
VO I C E N o. 1 ANTHONY HADEN-GUEST
V O I CE N o. 2 P I LO
[114]
[116]
[118]
[122]
[124]
VO ICE No.3 TONY ARCABASCIO
INS PIR ATION DA MIA NI
CITY GUIDE AT H E N S
LO C AT I O N S S C # 8 M A G LA U N C H T H E B OX N YC
L O CAT I O N S WAY OUT WEST GOTHENBURG
[126]
[128]
RELE ASE PI STON BLUE TO OT H
INS TA G R A MS
CONTRIBUTORS
[002]
ANTHONY HADEN-GUEST - Anthony Haden-Guest is a writer, reporter, cartoonist and occasional perfomer, usually of his own often lacerating rhymes. He was born in Paris, grew up in the UK, and lives contentedly in New York City. anthonyhadenguest.com Read Anthony’s VOICE on page 110.
PILO - Frank Lyon and Christina Karr are Artists / Musicians in Brooklyn. Their new revisionist cover band, is Pilo. soundcloud.com/piloproject soundcloud.com/frank-gilbert-lyon-ii
Read Pilo’s VOICE on page 112.
TONY ARCABASCIO - Both my parents came to NYC from Italy, had me in 1970, and I’ve lived here in NY my whole life. I’ve done everything from working in a pizzeria, to dancing at parties and clubs for cash. In 1995 I started working in the magazine industry, made a couple of great friends, and founded the collective brand ‘ALIFE’ with them in 1999. In 2006 I became a daddy and started a new business, Tony Arcabascio Inc. Basically, I just try to work on cool shit with cool people... My plan for life. tonyarcabascio.com Read Tony’s VOICE on page 114.
CONTRIBUTORS
[003]
ANTHONY LISTER - The first rule of painting is to take everyone else out of the equation. I am the viewer, so I don’t underestimate my viewers. They see everything and I just have to assume that they are me. I can’t paint for anyone else. It’s all about having the courage to say this is finished and they have to know that, I am the boss in painting. It’s like being a soldier because I have to be hard as fuck to fall in love with these things and let them go. anthonylister.com Check out Anthony’s art on page 026.
VIKTOR RISING - 34 years old, born in Sthlm Sweden, lives in Havana Cuba. My first visit to Cuba was back in ‘88 for a vacation with my family. That was before the Soviet Union crashed, and since then things have changed quite a bit. Went back in ‘96 and ‘98 to visit my dad while he was working on a photography book about architecture in Havana. In 2001, I spent 10 months in Cuba, studying Spanish at the University of Cien Fuegos. After that I got hooked on the island, the weather, the sun and the friendly people. Started my own production company in Havana 2011. Shoot lifestyle, fashion and produce photo shoots. viktorrising.se Check out Viktor’s photos on page 080.
DOM DELUCA - Born in brooklyn. Accomplished bmxer. Roadie for Slayer, Metallica and Anthrax. Was a VJ for MTV. Worked at Def Jam, amongst other record labels... put together the Anthrax/Public Enemy collab and tour. Started with Brooklyn House in Brooklyn in ‘92. Founded ‘Brooklyn Projects’ in 2002. Fact: LA Confidential listed him as #88 out of ‘100 People To Know In LA’... above Morgan Freeman. brooklynprojects.com Instagram- brooklyndom68 Instagram- brooklynprojectsla Check out Dom’s photos on page 090.
CONTRIBUTORS
[004]
GOIVANNI REDA - New York City’s landscape provided the advent of Reda’s career, which blossomed 1993; shooting skateboarders all around the five boroughs with intuitive vision and panache. Throughout his yesteryears working, the word respect remains steadfast amongst his peers – a face that is well recognized, liked and welcomed within the skateboard community. Reda has shot for every major publication in skateboarding and, at one point, was the photo editor for Big Brother Magazine. Currently, Reda is living in Los Angeles and still shoots skateboarding and will do so till the day he dies. Reda’s infectious humor and appealing personality has earned him a weekly episodic video blog, on skateboarding top content producing website The Berrics. Called Wednesdays with Reda, it showcases his unique humor and quick wit as he travels the world with a camera and various professional skateboarders, artists, musicians and actors. Reda is also the co-host of a cooking competition TV show on the Esquire network called Knife Fight. giovannireda.com wesc.com/weactivist/reda Instagram- giovannireda Check out Reda’s cover story photos on pages 006. DAVID SHADI PEREZ - Shadi is a self-made man. Grew up on the mean streets of the South Bronx in the early 80’s to make a name for himself directing music videos and taking photos to fame. He resides in Chinatown, NY where he is currently working on a script of his childhood in NY during the birth of hip hop and graff. Stussy, Supreme, BBC/Ice Cream, W)taps, Gravis, Toast, Deluxe, Nike, are some of the brands that he has worked with. Shadi’s editorial work has appeared in magazines such as the New York Times, GQ, Vibe, Huge, Ollie, I-D, The Face, Brutus Japan, Frank 151, Jalouse, Australian Financial Review... just to name a few. shadinyc.com shadinyc.blogspot.com shadinyc.tumblr.com Instagram- shadinyc Twitter- @shadinyc Check out Shadi’s photos on page 038.
AMBER & ASHLIE CHAVEZ - Amber and Ashlie Chavez are twin sisters and collaborative artists, an inescapable unit bound by blood and analog photography. The twins are based out of Los Angeles and have a BFA in Creative Photography. They’ve been shooting for over a decade and were solely inspired by their mother, in fact all their equipment was inherited from her. The girls became known for their Symbiotic Series, a 5 year project that delineates their abnormally close relationship as twins. Currently their work still documents their liaison as siblings and colleagues, but now with the interjection of a toddler - Ashlie’s son, River. While Amber plays second mom and books shoots, Ashlie runs their online art store artforyourwalls. As a duo, the twins are able to work an array of a commisions, ranging from album covers, lookbooks, and editorial. Above all, the girls hope to capture and encourage sincerity with all of their work. amberchavez.com ashliechavez.com mountainspirit.tumblr.com artforyourwalls.myshopify.com Check out Amber & Ashlie’s photos on page 050.
CONTRIBUTORS
[005]
FREDRIK ETOALL - For the past 17 years, Fredrik has dedicated his life to taking photos. Now, as an established director as well, he’s been traveling around the globe making people look good worldwide. etoall.se Instagram- etoall Facebook- etoall.se
Check out Fredrik’s photos on page 068.
ROBIN NILSSEN - I’ve known Robin ’Boon’ Nilssen since I was a kid, we grew up together skateboarding, traveling and hellraising. When we started Sweden’s Skatemag ‘Giftorm’ back in ‘04, Robin was stoked to take up skateboarding photography on a more professional level, and he sure did. Robin has since then shot more covers for Giftorm than anyone else, he won ‘Photographer Of The Year’ several times at the Swedish SOTY and today he also shoots quite a few different things other than skateboarding. He still lives in Stockholm and is still one of my best friends. Some people are just not for sale. – Nicke Svensson / Editor of Sweden’s Skatemag Giftorm. boonphotography.com Instagram- boonphotography Check out Robin’s photo on page 077.
SUPERLATIVE CONSPIRACY - Good people doing great things together since 1999. Ps. No. Don’t be a fucking unicorn, be you. wesc.com Instagram - WeSC1999 Twitter - @WeSC1999 Facebook - superlativeconspiracy
CRAFT AND COMMERCE: AN INTERVIEW WITH GIOVANNI RIBISI
[006]
WORDS BY GIOVANNI REDA PHOTOS BY GIOVANNI REDA
Giovanni Ribisi has been a notable presence in film and television for most of his life, and lately he’s also branched out into producing and directing through his own production company. He’s had a front row seat experiencing the aesthetic and technological revolution in filmmaking that we’re just now starting to make sense of. Here he shares some of his insights with another Giovanni and we’re pretty sure that whatever comes next from Mr. Ribisi will be more than worthy of our attention.
GIOVANNI REDA: You’ve done a wide range of rolls, from drama to comedy and everything in between. How do you select a roll and what’s your process when you do? GIOVANNI RIBISI: It’s hard to identify a process. Making films can take years and people evolve. I’m not the same person I was two years ago; my interests have changed and they’ll be different two years from now. I suppose the process is more organic and predicated on the context of my life and attention. I think for this reason acting is very personal. You can always see, while watching an actor’s performance, where they are in their personal life—if they are balanced and focused, if they need money, if they are generally overwhelmed, etc. There are many more things to consider, when deciding to do a film, than the role itself. You’ve accomplished so much as an actor already what do you think you haven’t done yet that you’re really searching for? I would like to approach things differently from a procedural standpoint. Primarily economically. There’s an accepted economic science to making films which we sometimes take for granted and this fundamentally
“...ACTING IS VERY PERSONAL. YOU CAN ALWAYS SEE, WHILE WATCHING AN ACTOR’S PERFORMANCE, WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR PERSONAL LIFE—IF THEY ARE BALANCED AND FOCUSED, IF THEY NEED MONEY, IF THEY ARE GENERALLY OVERWHELMED, ETC.”
informs the creative choices being made on film sets. It could be said that these procedural habits make for creative habits and habitual considerations. I would like to act in a movie directed by a member of the Dani tribe in Papua New Guinea. You’ve done TV and movies, have you ever done anything on the stage? Which do you enjoy the most and why? I’ve done small plays here and there, but I grew up in Los Angeles and theater doesn’t exist here like it does in New York or London. I prefer movies. I don’t know if I would call acting enjoyable. In many cases, I’m not sure if I would feel like I was doing my job if it were. Maybe sometimes. But in so many examples a film isolates the more extreme, “interesting” parts of life. The parts that are difficult to experience. Even comedy has its pratfalls and pies in the face. Do you think you’ll want to direct and if you do, do you think you’ll stop acting? I am making movies. I don’t think I’ll ever stop acting. It’s becoming easier and easier to make quality projects with equipment getting better and more affordable and with the internet as a place to put up shorts and videos, how do you think this has been affecting film making and where do you see it in the future? I feel like it’s easier to execute making a certain type of film with modern technology, compared to the 70’s and 80’s. But if you are interested in photography that looks like Gabriel Figueroa or James Wong Howe, and a story that takes place anywhere else besides your own residence, you’ll run into similar hurdles and expenses that any production faces. In my humble opinion, if you truly want to make films, you’ll get it done
[007]
COVER
COVER
ANWAR KNITTED SWEATER, EDDY JEANS
[008]
[009]
COVER
COVER
[010]
COVER
[011]
no matter where technology is at any given moment, with whatever tool you decide to use at that time. What are some of your other passions outside of acting and filmmaking and who are your influences? I love my wife and my daughter.
“IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, IF YOU TRULY WANT TO MAKE FILMS, YOU’LL GET IT DONE NO MATTER WHERE TECHNOLOGY IS AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, WITH WHATEVER TOOL YOU DECIDE TO USE AT THAT TIME.” How do think the art of filmmaking is important to our culture? It’s hard to identify what filmmaking is right now, especially in the context of culture. Because it’s changing and how we experience film is changing. Our relationship to filmmaking has grown and informed our culture and vice versa for over 100 years. During that time, it quickly evolved into having its own language and grammar. The evolutionary stage of that language now isn’t necessarily what, but how, we participate in film. While story will always be central, marketing, accessibility and the viewing medium is in a wild-west stage right now. This not only informs the consumer’s immediate experience of the film but also the filmmaker’s choices in making them. What do think are some of the most important films that have ever been made? That’s a very hard question to answer. Is there anyone that you haven’t worked with that you would like to and why? I would like to be directed by an elder of the Dani tribe, indigenous to Papua New Guinea. I think I already mentioned that. Are there certain kinds of characters that are easier for you to play? And why? Is this a trick question? Out of everything you’ve done up to this point, what are you the most proud of? (I know it’s The Wake Up*) I don’t think I’m objective enough to answer this question. I’ve had the privilege of directing you in a short, how do I compare to other directors? You’re pretty good. You yelled at me a lot. Too much maybe.
*
--* The Wake Up is a short featuring Ribisi, directed by Reda, for the Berrics.
YU JACKET, ANWAR KNITTED SWEATER, EDDY JEANS
COVER
“IT’S HARD TO IDENTIFY WHAT FILM MAKING IS RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF CULTURE. BECAUSE IT’S CHANGING AND HOW WE EXPERIENCE FILM IS CHANGING.”
[012]
[013]
COVER
FROM CONDOMS TO CLEAN WATER DOING IT BETTER, ONE THING AT A TIME
[014]
WORDS BY ANNA MORIAN PHOTOS BY WeSC ARCHIVE [OPENER] & RICKARD JOSEPHSON
CSR; If you happen to be fluent in Corporate it spells Corporate Social Responsibility. In Street we’d probably say common sense mixed with common decency. It seems any self-respecting corporation has a CSR Policy nowadays to make sure everyone has their ducks in a row. A CSR Policy typically covers social, environmental and health issues and often includes, not only the company with owners, suppliers, customers and employees, but also the society as a whole. The term CSR is from the late 1960s and early 1970s, a time when issues of equality, freedom and environment were hot topics. Today CSR is no longer considered a plus for a corporation, something that gives you extra cred, it’s slowly become a hygiene factor, as indispensable as a solid balance sheet or a yearly marketing plan. Rickard Josephson is one of those guys you instinctively like, right off the bat. He just comes across as a genuinely nice guy. He also has great hair, blond McDreamy style if that makes any sense. He’s passionate about his work, thinks a beer at 4 o’clock on a Friday afternoon should be Company Policy basically everywhere, and he’s been responsible for CSR at WeSC since the very beginning.
ANNA MORIAN: So, CSR huh? What’s the hype about anyway? RICKARD JOSEPHSON: You know, I’m not really a fan of the term CSR? I like to say it’s all about sustainability, a simple case of not wasting resources, be it natural- human- or economic. You don’t have to be an eco-fanatic to realize we need to re-evaluate some of the things we do to the environment and to ourselves as people. It all ties together; pollution, health, socioeconomic factors, so yeah, we have to get it together and make sure we live, work, produce and consume in a sustainable way. It’s not a political question per se, just common sense in my opinion.
the whole process of producing 1 kg of “ordinary” cotton, uses as much as an average of 29.000 liters of water. Several thousands of these liters are used in the production of the actual fabric and the finished garment. But there already exists ways to do this in a smart and more sustainable way. In a closed system factory like the one we work with for our denim for example, only 6 liters are required. So yes, there are ways to do it better. We need to look at ways to do this in a responsible way and not use for example drinking water for that type of process which is a common thing today and makes absolutely no sense at all.
To what degree do corporations focus on these issues? In a not very distant future, in fact we can already see it happening, every corporation will have to address questions on sustainability and will be forced to have a policy to deal with these issues. Some investors are really beginning to take sustainability seriously and audit companies on these issues before making decisions on investment. If you fail to perform on this level you’ll have a very hard time attracting investors and capital, and as we all know, cash is king. Which is a good thing in this case, because it means companies will be forced to get their act together or actually lose money one way or another.
Speaking of water, you’ve been involved in Sweden Textile Water Initiative for many years? The Nordic countries have come a long way when it comes to environmental issues, which is a huge part of CSR and sustainability. The Sweden Textile Water Initiative started in 2010 as a joint project between textile and leather retail companies in Sweden together with Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).
Because sometimes you get the impression it’s a media thing? That media dictates what gets exposure but people in general and companies in particular aren’t that invested in these issues? Well, to a certain point yes. If the media picks up a story on, let’s say a toxic dump scandal at some factory or a company bribing government officials, public opinion will follow. Companies are susceptible to that and so are investors, so media has a very important role, exposing bad practices and driving opinion on these issues. But people are definitely on top of it as well. More and more people are making conscious choices, weighing important issues like eco-friendliness and fair trade. In many ways it’s a question of the number of people caring enough to make certain choices reaching critical mass – then we’ll start to see things changing for real. The textile industry has some very specific issues to deal with in terms of environmental challenges? Absolutely. Production and transport are two huge areas where a lot can, and must be done to reach sustainable practices. According to The WWF
“YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE AN ECO-FANATIC TO REALIZE WE NEED TO RE-EVALUATE SOME OF THE THINGS WE DO TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND TO OURSELVES AS PEOPLE.” What are the key issues STWI focuses on? Right now more than 30 companies have joined STWI and together we’ve developed guidelines for sustainable water and chemical use in the production and manufacturing processes of textiles and leather. The guidelines cover production technique, water treatment and sludge management for example. STWI is fully financed by the members and we’re working on testing and implementing the guidelines to make sure they’re applicable and most importantly; actually useful. In the textile industry almost all production is outsourced to low income countries such as India, China or Bangladesh? Yes, and that brings us to another key issue which is so called externali-
[015]
CURRENT
Making of signature WeSC Selvage Denim in Japan
CURRENT
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: -THE HAND LOOM MACHINE IS THE TRADITIONAL WAY SMALL SAMPLES OF WOVEN CHECKS ARE PRODUCED IN INDIA. -SMOKESTACKS FROM BRICK OVENS IN BANGLADESH. THE SLUDGE LEFT AFTER CLEANING WATER IN THE WET PROCESS IS OFTEN USED TO MAKE BRICKS, ANY TOXIC RESIDUE LEFT INCLUDED. -THE PHTHALATE FREE ROOM. GARMENTS FREE OF CHEMICALS THAT HARM THE REPRODUCTION OF FISH SHOULD BE THE NORM. YET SOME MARKETS DO NOT CARE DUE TO HOW INEXPENSIVE PHTHALATE IS. -FRAMED DIPLOMAS AT A FACTORY. EVERY SOCIALLY CONCERNED COMPANY HAS THEIR OWN POLICY, THE FACTORY HAS TO LIVE UP TO THEM ALL. GLOBALLY ACCEPTED GUIDELINES AND INTERNATIONAL LEGISLATION WOULD PUT AN END TO THIS TYPE OF RIDICULOUS SITUATION.
[016]
CURRENT
[017]
ties. Who deals with the consequences of production in for example China? It’s a country that suffers greatly due to pollution and a lot of what is being produced is exported on behalf of foreign companies.
rect? I think we should probably bring it back though, we’ve never been very correct in that respect, so we’re probably not fooling anyone…
Who should pick up the bill for any pollution left behind? It’s a difficult question that needs to be addressed globally. Looking in my crystal ball I can see China wielding some real power in the future. They’ve gone from being the whole worlds’ factory to also being a huge importer so they do have a lot of leverage nowadays. China has already started to say ‘if you want to produce in our country you will have to take responsibility for any mess you make’ and they could actually make companies pay for clean-ups and investing in environmentally sane processes. I hope they do actually, it would be a massive step forward.
“I’M ACTUALLY PRO LEGISLATION JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL BE PEOPLE AND SADLY WE AS A RACE SEEM TO THINK ‘I’LL KEEP DOING IT UNTIL I CAN’T GET AWAY WITH IT ANYMORE’, YOU KNOW? SO GOVERNMENTS NEED TO DRIVE LEGISLATION TO PUT PRESSURE ON COMPANIES TO DO THE RIGHT THING.”
Apart from producing countries focusing on externalities, what do you think it would take for companies to really step up to the plate, responsibility-wise? I think ownership is key. Producing countries need to say; if you want to produce in our country you’ll have to have a certain stake in the factory you choose. Companies would have to invest their own money to be able to take advantage of the low cost production and would be more interested in taking care of that investment. Better practices would follow I’m sure, people tend to care more when their own money is involved, it’s sad but true. Different brands tend to have individual demands on their manufacturers in terms of compliance with CSR issues. It must be really difficult for the manufacturers though, complying with demands from so many different clients? Yeah, it is sometimes. So that’s something the manufacturers are interested in as well, setting standards and standardizing processes. There are so many different standards and certifications right now so one comprehensive standard controlled by a global independent entity would be awesome for everyone. Preferably the UN, it has resources and clout world-wide. Not very many companies would want to mess with the UN, if not for anything else; it just doesn’t look good. What about legislation? Pro or con? I’m actually pro, just because people will be people and sadly we as a race seem to think ‘I’ll keep doing it until I can’t get away with it anymore’ you know? So governments need to drive legislation to put pressure on companies to do the right thing. Legislation also has a huge normative effect and sends a strong message; this is not ok, in fact, it’s actually illegal. Some companies might do some ethically shady stuff for the sake of profit but to actually break the law is a totally different question. You’re not very keen on talking about what you do at WeSC when it comes to CSR, why is that? It’s not something you want to communicate as a company? I just think doing is better than talking or reporting I guess. From the very beginning WeSC has been about doing good stuff with good people, which in essence is exactly what CSR is about. So for us it’s something we actually founded the company to be able to do. It’s just that we didn’t think of it like that, it was just the way we wanted to do things you know. It’s actually only a couple of years ago when WeSC went public that the paragraph about everyone being entitled to a beer every Friday at 4 pm was removed from company policy. What!? Why?! That’s the best policy I’ve ever heard of!! Yeah, I think so too, but I guess it’s not very corporate or politically cor-
Someone told me about another policy having to do with condoms? What was that all about? Haha! Who told you that? Yeah, in one of the factories we work with in India there’s always a big bowl of condoms at the entrance. For staff to take for free. It’s something you can giggle about ‘cause it’s funny thinking about that big bowl of condoms like the one you’d find in the school nurses office, but it’s also a very serious thing. Birth control can be a matter of life or death in developing countries, and especially for women it’s crucial to be able to plan parenthood since there is no social security and often less than ideal health care available. To give women free access to condoms saves lives, in so many ways. So it’s always nice to see that big old bowl, full of rubbers. It’s just a small thing but it makes a big difference you know? As we rap up a group of kids in their late teens come through the door and are greeted by WeSC founder Greger Hagelin who takes them on a grand tour of the company. Greger is all smiles, the kids seem a bit awestruck. Turns out they’re all part of a job-finder program targeted at young people at the risk of being left out of the labor market and visits like these are common WeSC HQ. Good stuff, good people; one thing at a time.
*
--For more info go to: Sweden Textile Water Initiative: swedishwaterhouse.se/en/STWI/ Better Cotton Initiative: bettercotton.org Blue Sign: bluesign.com WRAP: wrap.org.uk
ENJOY BARCELONA
[018]
WORDS BY RAUL NAVARRO [TRANSLATED BY ERIK PETTERSSON] PHOTOS BY SEM RUBIO [PORTRAIT] & ROBERTO ALEGRIA [SEQUENCE]
A whole city to discover, almost no problem with the police at all, everybody knew everybody... that was the Barcelona in the beginning of the 90´s.
The city has changed a lot, for good and for bad. In the beginning of the 90’s almost everybody that skated in Barcelona knew each other, and there was basically two or three big groups. There weren´t a lot of foreigners visiting, only people from other parts of Spain, so when an outsider did visit, all the locals would find out, act as hosts and share great sessions together. Besides the NSA contest in ‘89 that a lot of American pros came out for, Barcelona was not yet a destination chosen by the skaters. It was later, long after the Olympics (1992), that the first pros started to show up. People like Jaime Thomas, the now gone Tim Brauch, Arto Saari, Kareem Campbell, Guy Mariano, Gino Ianucci or Lavar Mcbride were some of the first to land in Barcelona. After that, with footage of Barcelona in videos like 411, people from all over the world started to arrive. At that point, the locals didn’t know who was coming or going anymore. That was the beginning of the ‘BOOM’ in Barcelona that we all know today.
“PEOPLE LIKE JAIME THOMAS, THE NOW GONE TIM BRAUCH, ARTO SAARI, KAREEM CAMPBELL, GUY MARIANO, GINO IANUCCI OR LAVAR MCBRIDE WERE SOME OF THE FIRST TO LAND IN BARCELONA. AFTER THAT, YOU SAW FOOTAGE OF BARCELONA IN VIDEOS LIKE ‘411’, AND PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD STARTED TO ARRIVE.” In 2002 a group of skaters from Sweden, including Erik Pettersson, decided to “change air” and come to Bcn with the excuse to study spanish and skate. For those three months, the idea was to spend the minimum amount of time on school and studies, and the rest skating, enjoying the nice climate and the mediterranean gastronomy. When studies came to an end, they all returned to Sweden, everyone but Erik. He was so in love with the city, he decided to stick around and start a new life. I ended up meeting Erik a couple of years ago (I don’t exactly remember when), and we connected super quick. We both had similar ideas about skateboarding, about what we liked, and so on. We became great friends and still skate together all the time, to this very day. For me, Erik is not really Swedish anymore. He´s been here so long that I consider him as a fellow Catalan. He has a day to day routine, living together with his girlfriend, etc. He learned spanish fast and speaks it perfectly, always surprising
me with new words!! Additionally, he´s a spanish food lover, and for those who don´t know it, an exceptional flamenco guitarist. He´s one of those people that has to be the best and excel in everything he does. Maybe it´s because he does everything with passion, or maybe he´s one of those chosen that learns anything he´s exposed to with ease. And we’re all well familiar with the type of skating he offers... Impossible stuff that only a few can pull off, and always as clean and smooth as can be. Watch any of his video parts and you´ll understand why he´s one of the best skaters in Europe today. I always think about how Barcelona has changed in all these years, the new laws, the ever increase in population... I guess it’s all for the better. I just hope what happened in other cities that have experienced the ‘BOOM’ doesn’t happen here, regarding being able to still skate our favorite spots. Until then let´s enjoy and respect one of the best cities to skate in the world, Barcelona.
*
--Toda una ciudad por descubrir, casi ningún problema con la policía, todos nos conocemos, esa era la Barcelona de principios de los ‘90. La ciudad ha cambiado mucho, para bien y para mal. A principios de los 90 casi toda la gente que patinábamos en Barcelona nos conocíamos, y básicamente habían dos o tres grandes grupos de patinadores. No habían muchas visitas de gente de fuera, básicamente gente de otros sitios de España, por eso siempre que alguien visitaba la ciudad todos los locales nos enterábamos y compartíamos buenas sesiones con ellos, haciendo de anfitriones. Aparte de un campeonato de la NSA que hubo allá por el ‘89 en la que muchos pros americanos vinieron a la ciudad, Barcelona todavía no era un destino elegido por los skaters. Fue mas tarde, mucho después de las olimpiadas cuando los primeros pros empezaron a aparecer, gente como Jamie Tomas, el desaparecido Tim Brauch, Arto Saari, Karem Campbell, Guy Mariano, Gino o Lavar Mcbride fueron de los primeros en aterrizar en Barcelona. A partir de ahí se empezaron a ver grabaciones de Barcelona en vídeos como 411, y empezó a llegar gente de todas partes. Los locales ya no sabíamos quien entraba o salía de la ciudad, así empezó el boom de Barcelona hasta lo que todos conocemos hoy en día. En el 2002 fue cuando un grupo de suecos entre los cuales estaba Erik P. decidieron venir a Barcelona con la excusa de estudiar Español, patinar y cambiar un poco de aires. La idea era estar el mínimo de tiempo de estudios, que son tres meses, y en este tiempo poder patinar y disfrutar del buen clima y gastronomía de Barcelona. Pasados estos tres meses
[019]
SKATE
ERIK PETTERSSON
SKATE
[020]
SKATE
[021]
todos volvieron a Suecia, todos menos Erik, que quedó tan enamorado de la ciudad que decidió hacerse un hueco y empezar una nueva vida. Fue unos cuantos años después cuando conocí a Erik, no recuerdo exactamente cuando... La verdad es que conectamos muy rápido, los dos teníamos ideas muy parecidas sobre el skate, sobre lo que nos gustaba y demás, a partir de ahí nos hicimos muy buenos amigos y a día de hoy siempre solemos ir a patinar juntos. Para mi Erik ya casi no es sueco, lleva tanto tiempo aquí que le considero un Catalán mas, ya ha hecho su vida aquí, vive con su novia etc..ha aprendido español muy rápido y lo habla perfectamente, siempre me sorprende con palabras nuevas!! Ademas es un amante de la buena comida española, y para los que no lo sepan un guitarrista de flamenco excepcional, es una de esas personas que todo lo que hace lo hace a un nivel muy alto, quizás porque pone mucha pasión o quizás porque es uno de esos elegidos que tiene mucha facilidad en aprender cualquier cosa que se proponga. Todos conocemos bien el tipo de skate que ofrece, cosas imposibles que a pocos se le ocurre y un estilo limpio y suave, podéis mirar cualquiera de sus partes de video y entenderéis porque es uno de los mejores skaters europeos hoy en día.
“FOR THOSE THREE MONTHS, THE IDEA WAS TO SPEND THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF TIME ON SCHOOL AND STUDIES, AND SPEND THE REST SKATING, ENJOYING THE NICE CLIMATE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN GASTRONOMY.” Siempre pienso en como ha cambiado Barcelona todos estos años, las nuevas leyes, la masificación de gente entrando y saliendo... supongo que ha sido un cambio a mejor aunque haya una parte negativa en todo esto, espero que no pase como en otras ciudades que fueron el boom y ahora casi todos los spots no se pueden patinar, hasta entonces disfrutemos y respetemos a una de las mejores ciudades para patinar, Barcelona.
*
ANDREAS KLEERUP - LIFE, DEATH AND MUSIC
[022]
WORDS BY ANNA MORIAN PHOTOS BY HEDVIG JENNING
Andreas Kleerup is one of Sweden’s most talented artists and also one of the most controversial. As the nation’s resident old school enfant terrible, and the epitome of tortured artist, he’s been in the spotlight, just as much for his music, as he has for his breakdowns, drug scandals and much publicized suicide attempt and collapse. A couple of years ago Andreas was diagnosed with ADHD, Tourettes and OCD. Getting diagnosed, and also receiving the correct treatment, has helped him finally begin to understand himself and also make sense of his reactions and actions. Now he feels better than ever and talks to us about life, death, family, faith, music, and other essential stuff.
ANNA MORIAN: You say you feel better than ever, what has the diagnosis meant for you? ANDREAS KLEERUP: Well, I have serious ADHD and a lighter form of Tourette combined with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), so before the diagnosis I thought I was retarded. All through high school I just thought I was slow, that I didn’t get it. I used to make lists of the stuff I had to do and schedule everything in 20 minute intervals, otherwise I’d forget. I’ve been doing that since I was like 12. You take four kinds of medication nowadays, how did you cope before? I’ve been self-medicating with drugs and alcohol since like always. Now I take my meds and can actually manage my life. I wake up and kind of check my status that day, and if it’s like low on the symptoms, it’s a good day. And when I work, and I’m really focused – it goes away.
“I ALWAYS FEEL MUCH MORE AT HOME AND COMFORTABLE WITH WOMEN. AND SECURE. IT’S LIKE THE FEELING WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR AUNTS TALK IN YOUR MOM’S KITCHEN AND YOU’RE JUST LYING ON THE SOFA AND DOZING OFF WITH THEIR VOICES IN THE BACKGROUND. I THINK IT’S EASIER TO HANG OUT WITH WOMEN...” After all the press and scandals, do you sometimes feel you’re afraid of people? That you just, hell I’m not gonna go out at all, because it’s just too hard? Yeah, but that’s my life. You can bet your life if you ever forget your fly open or something, someone notices and it’s like… a big thing. But I’ve learned, and I can’t complain, it’s the price of getting to do exactly what I want, and besides, people come up and go like; ‘sorry, but I just wanna say, I think what you do is great and I just wanted to let you know’. So if that’s the price well… I tell you what, if I had to redo everything again, all the bad stuff, I would do it. It’s worth it. I’d say this; I don’t recommend my life to anybody else but I love it. And I’m living it. There are many female artists on your new album and you’ve previously worked with a lot of talented singers. The first track ‘Requiem Solution’ from this album features Loreen for example, and ‘With
every heartbeat’ featuring Robyn was a massive hit. Is that something you think about; working with female artists, or is it something that just happens by itself? It just happens. Because it’s easier. Finding the right tone you know, a female voice tends to be about an octave different, so if I‘m like, (plays a few bars from ‘Requiem Solution’ and sings) then she’ll be like, (switches over to falsetto), so it’s just better. And I always feel much more at home and comfortable with women. And secure. It’s like the feeling when you hear your aunts talk in your mom’s kitchen and you’re just lying on the sofa and dozing off with their voices in the background. I think it’s easier to hang out with women and they become like sisters so it never gets messy with attraction or passion but you can compare experiences in relationships and stuff. It’s a damn strange profession you know, analyzing and dissecting what’s not really there, intangible stuff, and putting it in print. You’re a spiritual person? Yes, there’s a belief in God, not some special God, but it’s kind of like; where you’re sitting now, you might sit by a table, and maybe you have a cup of tea in front of you, and between what’s on the table and you; all of that connects together, it’s the same thing. There’s a purpose to it all. You’ve tweeted; The boss is a she… …and shall always be. Yes, she is. I stand by it. Do you feel God is actually a female or is God a neutral force? No, no, no. That has nothing to do with it. God is nothing like that, to go to heaven is nothing either, it will not be some place, it’s just - you cease to exist. The inexplicable. It has nothing to do with drinking lots of coffee or praying at 5:30 in the morning or whatever it is people do religiously. It’s just that there is a connectedness with why you’re even here. That’s all. It’s probably the best thing that has ever happened to me, to have that faith, that way of thinking. We talk about death and near death experiences. Andreas has been close to death twice in recent years and spent weeks in a coma. That experience has changed him for life. This sense of connectedness, spirituality and faith, did that come to you when you woke up or was it more like a memory? It came after I woke up. After I almost died, I was out for a long time, and when I woke up, it came. And since then it’s been there. I was sent back, so I have been there. And it happened again after that. All the things that I grew up with, that were like, weird, now I know what that was, those were signs; signs from above. Now I can understand what it comes from and what it is. And it still happens every day.
[023]
MUSIC
ZAC SHIRT, EDDY CHINOS, CORMAC BEANIE
MUSIC
ON FIELD TEE, CORMAC BEANIE
[024]
MUSIC
[025]
Are you reassured by that, the signs, does it make you feel safe? Yes. But it took 29-30 years until I understood them and still sometimes I forget about them, but I know now that they’re there all the time.
there is a story there, connecting the four. It’s like I’ve had a period where I’ve felt that I’ve had a lot to say, and now, finally, I also have a deep understanding of what the albums are about.
We start talking about family, Andreas has a son from a previous relationship and is separated. He and his son live in different cities. Andreas goes to see him every other weekend, and as all separated parents sometimes struggle with feelings of guilt and inadequacy.
Do you have any favorite songs from any of your albums? There are songs from each album that I feel strongly about in different ways. I especially like ‘Just Want to Make That Sad Boy Smile’, ‘With Every Heartbeat’, ‘Longing For Lullabies’ and ‘On My Own Again’ from the previous ones. On this upcoming album I think it’s the song with Sofia Somajo I like the best. So far, it’s called ‘Lithium’ but we’re probably gonna rename it ‘Lithium I’m Loving Strippers’ so it’s not confused with the Nirvana song.
Do you get stressed about that, not seeing him? Yes, of course. But it’s the same for everyone. It’s like daily. The main thing is that my son is doing well. If I don’t feel well, that’s bad because it can affect him. But you can’t do more than your best. The only thing you can do is to see if he is happy, if he’s okay or not. Everything else is different from day to day, but that’s number one: him. Number two is that you’re trying to work and pay the bills, and number three is myself. It’s a lot to take care of actually. And I’m not like; family is everything, because sooner or later people get divorced or a parent dies… so, family is everything but not in the sense that you’re married, one is a man and the other a woman. My son will grow up with two parents who love each other and who are not fighting. I live in another city but I’m there every other weekend. Of course you always want to see him more often, but that’s just… well ask anyone, it’s the same for all separated parents I guess.
“THERE WAS A SHITLOAD OF PEOPLE WHO DIED THAT YEAR. PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T KNOW, WHO GOT ALL THESE PILLS PRESCRIBED BY A DOCTOR, TOOK THREE OF EACH AND WENT TO BED. AND I’VE ALSO BEEN SO CLOSE JUST LIKE AMY [WINEHOUSE], AND IT’S SO SAD IF SOMEONE DIES LIKE THAT WE DON’T PLAY THEIR SONGS ANYMORE, THEY LIKE DISAPPEAR. PEOPLE CAN’T BE BOTHERED TO HEAR THEIR SONGS ANYMORE. HAD I DIED, IT WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN LIKE THAT. PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE – OH WELL.” As an artist Andreas is both multifaceted and multitalented. His debut album with electronic dance music from 2008 took home three Swedish Grammy Awards and the hit single ‘With Every Heartbeat’ featuring Robyn became number in the UK. In 2010, he was on the NME’s top 20 list of the world’s hottest producers and he’s produced for Lady Gaga among others. Simultaneously he’s also a session drummer, band member in Me And My Army, and in 2010 he wrote the music for the anniversary production of Harry Martinssons ‘Aniara’ for the Stockholm Stadsteater stage. Your forth album is coming up, tell us a little bit about that? A lot of people are participating, The Veronicas, Susanne Sundfør and Loreen for example. My four albums, even if they are very different, connect together in a way I’m only now beginning to see and understand,
You say you see a connection between your four albums now. Is it the same when you write an individual song, do you feel that you understand what you’re writing about as you go along or do you see it afterwards, when you’re done? It’s usually a bit afterwards, like this one (starts playing). In this one, in the verse, it talks about how it feels to be human, I realize now, it’s about Amy Winehouse. There was a shitload of people who died that year. People who didn’t know, who got all these pills prescribed by a doctor, took three of each and went to bed. And I’ve also been so close just like Amy, and it’s so sad if someone dies like that we don’t play their songs anymore, they like, disappear. People can’t be bothered to hear their songs anymore. Had I died, it would have probably been like that. People would have been like – oh well. Do you think about that, like - fuck, that was close? Oh yes, I think about it every minute of every day.
*
--Andreas Kleerup is a composer, record producer, drummer, and member of ‘Me And My Army’ hailing from Stockholm, Sweden. Requiem Solution ft Loreen is available on Spotify: http://spoti.fi/Zu1eSg www.kleerup.net www.facebook.com/kleerupmusic www.myspace.com/kleerup
ANTHONY LISTER WORDS BY ANTHONY LISTER [INTERVIEWING HIMSELF]
So, Anthony, as a father, what do your children think of your artwork? Well, it’s interesting. I asked my son what he thought of a painting as we passed it on the street one day and he said to me, “Don’t be offended dad, but all your works look the same”... It was of a face painting, and I laughed and said, “So what would you want to see on the street”, and he said off the top of his head, “I don’t know, maybe a baby smashing himself over the head with a brick, or, like Michael Jackson doing that move where he grabs his crotch and he’s ripping his own dick off”, and I thought that was brilliant. Your work is quite gestural and a lot of times just looks like scribble,.. How do you define even what you do as drawing when it looks more like scribbling? Well, Anthony, drawing is… painting is drawing, but drawing isn’t painting. I actually don’t call it drawing... I call it shapeshing. I just kind of throw shapes around just the way I see them. I don’t see that as a mattress, I see it as a rectangle. I don’t see that as a flower I see that as a… well there’s no word for a shape of a flower, but I find the shapes and put it together. Being so obsessed with your practice and into your work and traveling, how do you find time to play with your kids or have a life? I actually don’t really consider this work or anything, it kind of all merges into one thing. I’ll play a game occasionally with my kids where they’ll do a scribble and I’ll turn it into a drawing, or I’ll do a scribble and they’ll turn it into a drawing by turning it around and seeing what the options are. And I remember learning that from a television show in Australia in the 80’s called ‘Mr. Squiggles’ where he had a pencil for a nose and they would do a squiggle and draw a picture and they would flip it upside down and it would be another picture as well. It was genius, and actually when I do it I kind of can turn any lines into anything and the kids think I’m cheating. So, you travel the world with your family... that sounds awesome. Are you guys like the brady bunch of the art world? Well, it’s a little bit complicated at the moment, and yes it has been fun traveling with my family the times that they can come. Cool man, so what’s next? I guess I have stuff coming up in Miami, LA, and New York… and I’m really looking forward to it. Ok, thanks very much, Anthony. For letting us see your art. Oh, it’s ok Anthony… Thanks very much for looking at it. See you. Bye now.
*
[026]
[027]
ART
ARTIST IN HIS SYDNEY STUDIO 2013
ART
KINGS CROSS INK, CHARCOAL, SPRAY PAINT, ACRYLIC & OIL ON CANVAS 189 X 189 CM 2013
[028]
[029]
ART
BIRD 11 INK, CHARCOAL, SPRAY PAINT, ACRYLIC & OIL ON CANVAS 190 X 186 CM 2013
ART
THE MOTHER CALM INK, CHARCOAL, SPRAY PAINT, ACRYLIC & OIL ON CANVAS 216 X 190 CM 2013
[030]
[031]
ART
THE BEAUTIFUL MISERY INK, CHARCOAL, SPRAY PAINT, ACRYLIC & OIL ON CANVAS 176 X 176 CM 2013
ART
[032]
[033]
ART
BALLERINAS IN MOTION MIX MEDIA 48 X 84 INCHES 2012
ART
[034]
[035]
ART
MELBOURNE 2013
ART
LOS ANGELES 2013
[036]
[037]
ART
SUMMER LOVE HOLD ON TO YOUR LOVED ONE. IF YOU DON’T, SOMEONE ELSE WILL. PHOTOS BY DAVID SHADI PEREZ
[039]
FASHION
[OPENING SPREAD] GRAVEL OVERLAY SNAPBACK, WESC LEAGUE TANK GRAVEL SNAPBACK, MAURO CREWNECK, ALESSANDRO JEANS [OPPOSITE] YUJA TOP, ANE PANTS
BABY MAKER LEATHER WOOL JACKET, ABDON L/S SHIRT REGULAR FIT
BABY MAKER CAPE - LEATHER WOOL CAPE, CHRISETTE L/S HENLEY TOP, MANDY 5-POCKET JEAN, BO BROGUE UNISEX LOW TOP [OPPOSITE] CORDIANO SUIT JACKET, NITER L/S SHIRT REGULAR FIT, EDDY 5-POCKET CORDUROY PANTS
LODIN JACKET [OPPOSITE] SUZI DRESS
HER: SUZI DRESS HIM: EDDY CHINO, HOOK JACKET, DUBBY STRIPE T-SHIRT, WESC LEAGUE E SNAPBACK, CLIVE SNEAKER
HIM: HOOK JACKET, DUBBY STRIPE T-SHIRT, WESC LEAGUE E SNAPBACK HER: DUBBY STRIPE CREWNECK, AMIA SHORTS
[ FOR MORE GO TO WeSC.COM OR DOWNLOAD OUR APP ]
EMMANUELLE WOOLSHORTS COAT, MANDY RAW WILD CLEAN AOPLADIES’ CREWNECK, 5-POCKET AMIA JEAN, PISTON HEADPHONE WESC SCRIPT LOGO LADIES’ S/S T-SHIRT [OPPOSITE] THYRA LADIES’ JACKET, CANDICE LADIES’ TANK TOP, MANDY HF BLACK LADIES’ 5-POCKET JEAN, CLOPTON LOW TOP SHOE
[ FOR MORE GO TO WeSC.COM OR DOWNLOAD OUR APP ]
LOS MOMENTS WE’RE ALWAYS TOLD IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE WE SHOULD APPRECIATE THE MOST, BUT IT’S USUALLY THOSE SMALL THINGS WE SEEM TO FORGET FIRST. THE MOMENTS WAITING FOR SOMEONE A LITTLE BIT TOO LONG, SO YOU START TAKING IN ALL THE DETAILS AND PATTERNS IN YOUR SURROUNDINGS. THE MOMENTS OF BOREDOM WHEN YOUR MIND WANDERS TO WEIRD PLACES AND CRAZY IDEAS, WISHING YOU HAD THE GUTS - BUT YOU TURN TO INSTAGRAM INSTEAD. THE MOMENTS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO CALL, STARING AT THE PHONE. THE MOMENTS SPACING OUT WITH A BLANK SURFACE IN FRONT OF YOU, LETTING YOUR RELAXED MIND DO NOTHING. THESE MOMENTS WON’T BE SHARED, THEY WON’T BE REMEMBERED - THEY ARE YOURS AND YOURS ALONE. AND WHEN LIFE GETS TOO HECTIC IT’S THOSE SMALL THINGS WE MISS THE MOST; THE MOMENTARY THINGS.
PHOTOS BY AMBER & ASHLIE CHAVEZ
[051]
FASHION
[OPENING SPREAD] SC OLDSCHOOL CREWNECK [OPPOSITE] WORLD TOUR DUB T-SHIRT TOP: DITTE PANTS, ERIC DENIM SHIRT, ADA SNEAKERS BOTTOM: SC OLD SCHOOL CREWNECK
CAT-ASTROPHE-SHIRT
TOP: MAKSIM T-SHIRT BOTTOM: FLOW SCRIPT HOODIE, EDDY CHINOS [OPPOSITE] UDO SHIRT, EDDY CHINOS, BO BROGUE SHOES
[OPPOSITE] ERIC DENIM SHIRT, BOB JEANS, HOOK DENIM JACKET ASTER DENIM JUMPSUIT, KELIM 5 PANEL, ADA SNEAKERS
BARRIE BOARD SHORTS
LEFT: BIRD STRIPE ZIP HOODIE RIGHT: JACO HOODIE
TOP: BROOMHILDA JACKET, HODA SHORTS, ADA SNEAKERS BOTTOM: FIGARO SOCKS [OPPOSITE] MEDALLION ABSTRACT 5 PANEL, BIRD STRIPE T-SHIRT, HULDA DRESS
[ FOR MORE GO TO WeSC.COM OR DOWNLOAD OUR APP ]
BUD SHIRT
IN YOUR HEAD BERLIN. IT NEVER REALLY HAPPENED. PHOTOS BY FREDRIK ETOALL
[069]
FASHION
[OPENING SPREAD] HAPPY SOCKS SWEATER HAPPY SOCKS SWEATER, HAPPY SOCKS NECKERCHIEF
[ FOR MORE GO TO WeSC.COM OR DOWNLOAD OUR APP ]
MARCUS ERICSSON FORMULA 1. FOR SOMEONE NOT INTO MOTORSPORTS IT MAY BE HARD TO UNDERSTAND THE MAGIC OF THE WORD. BUT IT MEANS YOU’RE PLAYING IN THE MAJOR LEAGUE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND EXCLUSIVE SPORT THERE IS. THERE ARE 11 TEAMS FOR THE 2014 SEASON. EACH TEAM HAS TWO DRIVERS. MARCUS ERICSSON IS A 23 YEAR-OLD SWEDE HAILING FROM THE SMALL TOWN OF KUMLA, SWEDEN, AND ONE OF THOSE DRIVERS. FOR THE 2014 SEASON HE’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE OF CATERHAM’S TWO CARS, MAKING HIM THE FIRST SWEDE TO PILOT AN F1 CAR IN 23 YEARS. IT’S CALLED THE F1 CIRCUIT – IT COULD JUST AS EASILY BE CALLED THE F1 CIRCUS. THE F1 TEAMS TRAVEL THE WORLD FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON, RACING ON EVERY CONTINENT, AND THE PRESSURE TO PERFORM IS ENORMOUS – ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE A 23 YEAR-OLD ROOKIE FROM A SMALL TOWN IN SWEDEN. IN THE MIDST OF THIS BROUHAHA STANDS A TALL BLOND VIKING, COOL AS A CUCUMBER AND EVERY INCH THE PROFESSIONAL. WE’RE EXTREMELY HAPPY AND PROUD TO HAVE MARCUS JOIN OUR WeACTIVIST FAMILY, A SUPER TALENT AND A TRULY HUMBLE PERSON.
PHOTOS BY ROBIN NILSSEN [PORTRAIT] & ROBIN RUDHOLM [F1]
[077]
POWER HITTERS TEE, ALESSANDRO JEANS
WeACTIVIST
LA HABANA IN VEDADO, HAVANA CUBA, CALLE 23 Y G IS THE PLACE TO BE FOR THE YOUNG AND FREE PHOTOS & WORDS BY VIKTOR RISING
[081]
LIFESTYLE
Calle 23 y G in Vedado, Havana, is where all the “freakies” and youngsters hang out... skaters, rockers, rappers, punks and everybody who is considered to be weird or different get together in this park to socialize. This corner connects four large roads that lead to every corner of the city and becomes a natural passage for bringing people together. In the daytime it’s a busy place of work and public transport, but at dusk it becomes a flourishing scene for Havana’s subculture crowd. This is where you need to be...
ON THE ROAD IN THE 80’S ROCK WORLD, BEING A ROADIE WAS LIKE BEING A ROCKSTAR. WE WERE ALL PART OF THE BAND. PHOTOS & WORDS BY DOM DELUCA
[091
LIFESTYLE VINTAGE
[OPENING SPREAD] CLASSIC DOM 1987. 2 SWATCH WATCHES. NIKE RUNNING SHORTS. SPOT BUILT SNEAKERS (I WAS A SNEAKER HEAD BACK THEN TOO), DEATH HAND SCREENED TEE (HOMEMADE... BY ME), DEATH TRUCKER CAP, KRISHNA NECKLACE COURTESY OF JOHN JOESEPH FROM THE CRO MAGS, MY THEN MENTOR.
[THIS PAGE] TOP: PICTURE I SHOT OF JOEY BELLADONNA FROM ANTHRAX ON THE MONSTERS OF ROCK TOUR WITH IRON MAIDEN, KISS, DAVID LEE ROTH, ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT AND HELLOWEEN. THIS WAS MY FIRST EURO FESTIVAL TOUR AND THE FIRST TIME I MET KISS AND DAVID LEE ROTH. WENT ON TO HANG WITH DAVE BECAUSE HE KNEW I WAS ALL ABOUT GETTING PUSSY AT SHOWS. BOTTOM: ANOTHER SHOT I TOOK ON THE MONSTERS OF ROCK OF DANNY SPITZ OF ANTHRAX. [OPPOSITE PAGE] PIC OF SCOTT IAN OF ANTHRAX I TOOK AT MY UNCLES CLUB L’AMOURS IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CIRCA 1984 WHEN DANNY LILKER WAS IN THE BAND AND SCOTT HAD HAIR.
[PREVIOUS SPREAD] JUST SOME RANDOM LAMINATES FROM PAST TOURS AND BANDS I’VE WORKED FOR.
[THIS PAGE] COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: KIRK HAMMET FROM METALLICA./ MARILYN MANSON./ SCOTT IAN FROM ANTHRAX AND PHIL ANSELMO FROM PANTERA, NYE 1999./ ONE OF MY FAVORITE BANDS TO WORK FOR AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE BANDS TO THIS DAY. POSSESSED. WITH MIKE TERRAO GUITAR PLAYER. ROCKIN THE CLASSIC UNDERDOG NYHC TEE./ MTV DAYS WITH MY CO-HOST RIKI RACHTMAN, RIGHT AFTER THE NY RANGERS WON THE STANLEY CUP. WAS AMAZING TO HOLD IT./ MY BOY JOERDIE AKA TWIGGY FROM MARILYN MANSON AT MY 30TH BIRTHDAY PARTY. [OPPOSITE PAGE] TOP: EUROPEAN GIRLS WERE SO MUCH FUN AND ALWAYS DOWN FOR A GOOD TIME. I MET THESE GIRLS IN NORWAY. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I HAD A REAL GOOD TIME AND HAD MY FIRST OF MANY THREESOMES. BOTTOM: THESE THINGS... GROUPIES 1987... ALABAMA... NUFF SAID.
[THIS PAGE] TOP: QUITE POSSIBLY MY FAVORITE SHOW I HAVE EVER BEEN TO. WAS INVITED TO LEMMY FROM MOTORHEAD’S 50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY AT THE WHISKY IN HOLLYWOOD. ABOUT 150 INVITED GUESTS. THE BAND OF THE NIGHT... THE LEMMYS. I WAS LIKE WHO THE FUCK ARE THE LEMMYS?? SCOTT FROM ANTHRAX SAID,”JUST WAIT AND SEE.” TURNED OUT TO BE METALLICA, WHEN THEY WERE STILL AWESOME, ALL DRESSED AS LEMMY AND ALL THEY PLAYED WAS MOTORHEAD SONGS. WAS SO BLESSED TO SEE THIS. BOTTOM: HAVING TOURED WITH POSSESSED, I BECAME CLOSE TO LARRY LALONDE, THE LEAD GUITAR PLAYER. WHEN POSSESSED BROKE UP, LARRY FORMED ANOTHER OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE BANDS, BLIND ILLUSION. WHILE SEEING THEM ONE NIGHT. HE GAVE ME A DEMO OF YET ANOTHER BAND HE WAS DOING, CALLED PRIMUS. HE THEN SAID THEY WERE PLAYING A SHOW FOR LABELS IN LA AROUND ‘91, AT THE NOW CLOSED DOWN COCONUT TEASER. I FLEW OUT AND WITNESSED WHAT WAS THE NEXT WAVE OF NEW MUSIC ALONG WITH 80 OR SO PEOPLE. PRIMUS WENT ON TO PLAYING 5000-10000 SEAT VENUES AND CREATING THE THEME SONG TO SOUTH PARK. [OPPOSITE PAGE] TOP: RANDOM CRAZINESS AT MY STOMPING GROUNDS OFF TOUR. L’AMOURS BROOKLYN WAS THE EPICENTER FOR EVERY BIG BAND FROM THE 80’S AND EARLY 90’S TO START AT. I HAVE SEEN SOME MEMORABLE SHOWS HERE. FROM SLAYER AND METALLICA WITH DAVE MUSTAINE PLAYING IN FRONT OF 60 PEOPLE, TO IRON MAIDEN WHEN THEY DID A WEEK OF SECRET SHOWS UNDER CHAROLOTTE AND THE HARLOTS. BOTTOM: LEEWAY, 1989 L’AMOURS. LEEWAY WAS BY FAR ONE OF THE BEST NYHC BANDS EVER. EDDIE SUTTON, TO THIS DAY, BEST FRONT MAN I HAVE EVER WITNESSED. HE GOT THE CROWD INTO IT
PHOTOS
[100]
BILLY FARRELL SCARLETT JOHANSSON / VANITY FAIR OSCAR PARTY 2011 - RED CARPET ARRIVALS / FEBRUARY 27, 2011 SUNSET TOWER, HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES © BILLY FARRELL/BFANYC.COM
PHOTOS
[101]
ARI SIGVALDASON THIS WAS SHOT IN 1990 AND IS ONE OF MY FIRST. THIS OLD LADY WAS HEADING DOWN TO THE POND IN DOWNTOWN REYKJAVÍK TO FEED THE DUCKS WHEN SHE WALKED PAST THIS GRAFFITI. IT WAS JUST THIS SINGLE SHOT. AT FIRST I DIDN’T LIKE IT SO MUCH - BUT THIS IS BY FAR MY MOST POPULAR PICTURE.
PHOTOS
[102]
FRANK LYON MY FRIENDS THREW WHAT AMOUNTED TO A TASTEFUL RAGER IN THE WOODS OF CALIFORNIA. I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE’S INNER EXPERIENCE OF MUSIC SURFACES, AWKWARD BUT GRACEFUL. JAMIE GOT CAUGHT WITH HIS PANTS DOWN HERE. SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY, DJING OUT OF HIS BODY INTO THE NIGHT SKY, PLUS ALL THAT TENSION BETWEEN NATURE AND TECHNOLOGY AND THE iPOD GRIP!
PHOTOS
[103]
DAVE ORTIZ ON EARLY MORNING WALKS IN THE LOWER EAST SIDE, YOU REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE COLORS AROUND YOU THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO HANG OUT IN THIS PART OF TOWN ONLY SEE AT NIGHT. KISS VS CHICO [NYC 2011].
PHOTOS
[104]
PATRICK BUCKLEY WOULDN’T BE A PHOTO IF EVERYONE WASN’T ON THEIR PHONES. [BROOKLYN]
PHOTOS
[105]
MATT MCGINLEY DENNIS MCNETT; WOODCARVER, PRINTMAKER, SCULPTOR WEARING ONE OF HIS CREATIONS IN HIS BROOKLYN STUDIO. LONG LIVE THE WOLFBAT.
PHOTOS
[106]
SEBASTIAN JIMENEZ DEEP FRIED SOMETHING. SOMEWHERE IN CHINA... [2012].
PHOTOS
[107]
RICKY POWELL MY FIRST PHOTO TAKEN AS A “PHOTOGRAPHER.” CENTRAL PARK CHILDREN’S ZOO NYC [SPRING 1985].
PHOTOS
[108]
JESSICA CHIN LAKE PLACID, 2013 A PERFECT VACATION ENDED WITH A PERFECT MORNING BOAT RIDE. YOU CAN’T LET MOMENTS LIKE THIS SLIP AWAY, NO MATTER HOW EASY IT IS TO GET SUCKED BACK INTO CITY LIFE.
PHOTOS
[109]
DAVID LACHAPELLE ANAHEIM, 2013 PART OF THE ‘LAND SCAPES’ SERIES. COURTESY OF PAUL KASMIN GALLERY, NEW YORK CITY.
ANTHONY HADEN-GUEST
[110]
GOING TO EXTREMES... A DEFENSE. PHOTO BY ANTHONY HADEN-GUEST
I
guess we all have technicolor memories of our own goings-on that set you to muttering four letter words to yourself out loud. Most of us for sure. Yes, even me. But we’ll get to that. So ... Going to Extremes! Okay. Where to begin?
A first point. In our age of social media and iPhone photography - to say nothing of whatever the J. Edgar Hoover equivalents in the NSA have got on us on their microfiles - clearly Going to Extremes has become a whole lot riskier. The private life of a JFK would be wholly different, as would the VIP room at Studio 54. But, that said, those who ignore such restrictions are far likelier to shine in the Bold-Faced Firmament longer than the decorous or, at least, discreet. Won’t Lindsay Lohan, Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus, to say nothing of the Kardashian Klan, remain embedded in the popular memory bank longer than the bland regiment of only moderately misbehaved popsters? Andy Warhol’s Elizabeth Taylor is a blue chip auction perennial. When did anybody even notice his Troy Donahue? So if nobody drops the dime on your misbehavior, do it yourself. Nobody surreptitiously leaked a sex tape of you? So? Do it yourself. Some equate Extreme Behavior with boorishness, rudeness. Indeed I have written of that elsewhere. But rudeness is way too easy. Far better to go to extremes with a degree of slippery charm. Like a Brit I once knew, the late Willie Donaldson. The heir to a shipping fortune, Donaldson found early success as the producer of a hit theatrical revue, but didn’t pay the cast, burned through several inherited fortunes on various misbegotten ventures and wound up as a crackhead, with a sideline as a pimp. You cannot live as I have lived and not end up like
“WON’T LINDSAY LOHAN, JUSTIN BIEBER AND MILEY CYRUS, TO SAY NOTHING OF THE KARDASHIAN KLAN, REMAIN EMBEDDED IN THE POPULAR MEMORY BANK LONGER THAN THE BLAND REGIMENT OF ONLY MODERATELY MISBEHAVED POPSTERS?”
this, Donaldson once wrote, a sentiment that wound up as the title of his biography after he died destitute at 70. Then there’s the over the top lie. The French comic actor, Raimu, according to Salvador Dali, once told a group of listeners in a Paris hotel bar that once, making love when he was 22, he had come 24 times. His audience hooted. “Maybe not,” the actor admitted. “But there’s some truth in it. It was my sister.” His audience still found 24 times a bit hard to take. “Oh yes,” Raimu assured them. “It was the business she was in.” Truman Capote told a dog story. A young man goes to pick up his date in Manhattan. He is shown into her apartment, a duplex on an upper floor of a building looking out, as I recall, onto Central Park West. He awaits his date downstairs, finding her large dog is in a playful mood. He throws it a ball as he waits. The dog catches the ball. Another toss. Another catch. Then the young man tosses the ball more ambitiously. The dog leaps, gracefully catches the ball, and continues on its trajectory clean out of the window. The woman appears downstairs, ready for the evening action. She looks around. Had he seen her dog? The young man says that last time he had noticed the hound it had been beside the window. “It was looking very depressed,” he adds.
What was the extreme behaviour here? Not, that of the guy. Pure carelessness. No, clearly the one at fault here is Capote for circulating the improbable tale. But he had carved out a starry social career by going to the extreme. But then he stuffed rather too many such plums in La Cote Basque 1965, supposedly a 13,000 word except from a novel, published in Esquire magazine. All of the unnamed targets were clearly identifiable, including the one that he said had shot her husband, and that her favorite breakfast was “hot buttered cock”. She killed herself. And Truman Capote was dropped from the fancy world he loved. After his own death it was clear that Answered Prayers, his long-awaited novel, was unwritten. And the unseemly personal behavior I mentioned? I don’t know where to start. Perhaps the occasion of ... Or the time that ... God! Down the memory hole with them all. For the time being, anyway.
*
[111]
VOICE No.1
FROM THE DESK OF ANTHONY
PILO
[112]
LAST NIGHT A DIGESTIF SAVED MY LIFE PHOTO BY FRANK LYON
T
here were four cheeses left over from the night before between Frank and Christina. They had spent the evening with Frank’s grandmother in Connecticut discussing how photogenic the past is, and recapped a bit of family drama that had occurred over the holidays. They also contemplated the sorrows of being a human, and the joys of watching sports. In Connecticut, the table is round. Here in Brooklyn, it is a rectangle, but can become a square if you let it. He said it’s about covers. She said people may wonder, why covers? He said hmmmm. She laughed with her mouth full. He said I remember having some pretty deep thoughts about this when I was getting ready to play some covers at a wedding. He said he supposes there’s no shortage. She said yeah. There’s no shortage of much these days. People should maybe stop making things. He said that’s an interesting thought. And he said sometimes I think it is our generation’s job to just digest the past. So, in that way, playing covers is a little bit like tilling the soil. Like circulating value that is already there, and relieving the situation of the pressures that come with authorship. She said my love for you is at a fine point. This is how I function in my relation to dress. He said tell me more. He put his foot on her thigh. She said when I walk into a thrift store or any shop selling recycled fashion, I see enough clothing to produce new combinations of old ideas. When I walk into the world, I see an excess of attempts at new ideas.
“...PLAYING COVERS IS A LITTLE BIT LIKE TILLING THE SOIL. LIKE CIRCULATING VALUE THAT IS ALREADY THERE AND RELIEVING THE SITUATION OF THE PRESSURES THAT COME WITH AUTHORSHIP.”
He said maybe it has been this way for a long time. But maybe there are too many trashy ideas in the marketplace, and maybe covering a song is a way of deepening an old idea. She said exact. He said I have heard it said that talking about music is like dancing about architecture.
He said okay. She said right now I am having a hard time focusing on my thoughts, because I haven’t totally transitioned out of my office mood and mode. Plus, I am the typer. Plus I want to eat cheese. He said why don’t you let me type a little? She said okay, but do you type as fast as I do?
She took a sip of a single malt scotch from the Isle of Skye in Scotland, and said that (artist / musician / philosopher) John Cage, after years of being laughed at when he performed music that was meant to express his pain and sadness, resigned to only write what he called emotionless music. Would you say this comes close to what is happening when one performs a cover of a song? He said not necessarily. But it could be. And then he said I tend to choose the songs I want to cover precisely because I connect to the emotions in the song, and am interested in the elastic capability in a song to stretch in each performance to fit a different iteration of the mood. In this way, with an open mind, if we want to compare playing covers to wearing used clothes; one size fits all.
He said my buildings are the saddest. She said this is why you want to play the songs very slow, right? So that people can come into our bubble building and cry? He said well, I would love that, but, I suppose my hopes aren’t really that specific any more. I think I like to play the songs more slowly because the singing starts to feel a little bit more physical, and, the details really come out. She said hmmm, uhuh. Would you like more whiskey, more, Scotch? He said, why not? She said, would you like it neat, or with a cube? He coughed a little, and said, neat please.
She said swag, Frank.
She said, neat!
He said thank you.
He said, I’m not the biggest whikey fan, actually, but, it’s nice to sing on whiskey.
He said this is partly possible because a sad song can be good, but we don’t have a lot of knowledge yet in sad buildings or sad clothes. Wait, maybe we do. Soviet Union? Corsets? Maybe I like a cover that is a little bit more like a very skinny woman in a very large corset. She wanted to say something but couldn’t, so she laughed instead.
She said, do you think I’ll be able to harmonize on whiskey? He said, thinking now on Ernest Hemingway, yes, you will.
- January 13, 2014 // Brooklyn, New York
*
[113]
VOICE No.2
GUYS, STAY CAETANO
TONY ARCABASCIO
[114]
PROUD SINCE DAY ONE PHOTO BY TONY ARCABASCIO
M
anhattan has been called the capital of the world for a long time, but Brooklyn is giving it a run for it’s money. At the moment, Brooklyn can do no wrong.
For you that don’t know, Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City’s five boroughs [Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island & Brooklyn]. Its official motto is “Unity Makes Strength”, which makes sense when you talk to any of the Brooklyn born and see the amount of pride that emanates from them. It’s something I never understood, as a Queens born / Long Island raised teen. But as a man I finally feel it. I’ve lived in Brooklyn for the past 15 years, and as the locals do, I rep it hard. Growing up, I had no reason to visit Brooklyn. All my relatives lived in Queens, and all my friends were in the suburbs of Long Island. I knew no one from that borough. But now, while traveling, when strangers hear my kids’ accents and ask them where they’re from (they’re both born and bred Brooklyn girls), I wait to hear their response. If it’s, “we’re from New York,” I correct them by saying, “they’re Brooklyn girls.” And that goes for me as well. When I’m asked, ‘Brooklyn’ is the first word from my mouth. It just feels right. Tony from fucken Brooklyn. Nowadays, everyone wants to be associated with or have their name attached to Brooklyn in someway. It’s valuable. New York, in general, has always had that cool factor. But what’s making it’s way around the world now is Brooklyn’s association with high-quality. It’s been host to a huge artisanal movement the past few years due to young entrepreneurs planting there feet here, and a ‘Made in Brooklyn’ label has the same clout that a ‘Made in Italy’ label has had for generations. Whether the stuff being produced here is up to par with the motherland
“I’VE LIVED IN BROOKLYN FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS, AND AS THE LOCALS DO, I REP IT HARD.”
is another story. But regardless, the strength that association has is undeniable. The Brooklyn Nets (basketball) are a perfect example of the power in a name. Just a few years ago, when the Nets were the ‘New Jersey’ Nets, they were one of the worst teams in the league and easy to get a seat for. Now that they are the ‘Brooklyn’ Nets, and play at the Barclays Center, seats and season ticket packages are sold out, they held second in their division their first year in, and finally have the coach of their choice... All before the end of their second season. That’s not a coincidence. When the Brooklyn name and it’s people are behind you, you feel the support and power that comes with it. It’s a state of mind. It makes a player feel his finest, and a fan feel like part of the team. And speaking of the new Barclays Center, it only opened it’s doors in Brooklyn about a year ago, and is now the go-to arena for any big performance happening in the US. So much so, that it has taken most of the bigger business away from what was considered the greatest/ most famous arena in the world, NYC’s Madison Square Garden. Again, not a coincidence. The name has been used (and abused) for Brooklyn themed establishments in cities across the world. You may find a ‘Club Brooklyn’ in Asia, or a ‘Brooklyn Cafe’ in Europe. And have you heard about Brooklyn Gum? It originated in Milan (in the mid 50’s) and can only be found in Italy. When the manufacturer was recently asked in an interview about the reasoning behind the Brooklyn branding and it’s target, they answered, “It is a brand targeted to young consumers interpreting youth passions, desires and interests.” I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I think they’re saying that when you’re young, you wish you lived in Brooklyn.
Lately, young people who move to NY don’t have their sights on Manhattan anymore. Even though the cost is comparable, most settle across the river instead. And when visiting in the past, tourists stayed in hotels in the city, and trekked over the bridge to spend a day in Brooklyn. Now, it’s reversed. Because of new, trendy hotels, tourists lay their head in the outer borough, with a day or 2 visit across the bridge to the Manhattan side for sightseeing and souvenirs. Am I bragging about Brooklyn a bit much? Maybe. I’ve been on the bandwagon for years now. It’s hard not to jump on once you’ve lived here for a bit. For most, all it takes is a days visit and they’re hooked. Whether it’s food, style, sports, the old-school or the new school, Brooklyn is big, bad, and bold. It’s the cool girl/guy you want to date and be seen with on Friday night. But... At the end of the day, since immigrants settled there because of it’s proximity to Manhattan, Brooklynites have always had a sense of pride. It’s the people that make the Brooklyn name what it is today, not what comes out of it. If you believe in yourself, everyone else will too. They knew that shit since day one. When you’re Brooklyn approved, you’re golden. [as read in T-POST #94]
*
[115]
VOICE No.3
BROOKLYN’S DOORS ARE ALWAYS OPEN [SACRED HEART / CARROLL GARDENS]
DAMIANI WORDS BY ANDREA ALBERTINI [PRESIDENT] PHOTO COURTESY OF TOILETPAPER MAGAZINE
This image is from Toiletpaper magazine, the artists’ magazine created by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari (rigorously in alphabetical order) and it will be included in the Toiletpaper Diamond Collection, the upcoming limited edition of 1000 copies. It is always a great experience to work with such incredible artists like Maurizio and Pierpaolo. This image – a toad in a hamburger bun – is a perfect example of the whole Toiletpaper project: talent, madness and irony, perfectly combined in each picture.
[116]
[117]
INSPIRATION
ATHENS [GREECE] WORDS BY NIKOS TSOUANATOS PHOTO BY WeACTIVIST SAL ATHENS
[118]
CITY GUIDE
[119]
ATHENS [GREECE] - As Greece is in the middle of the economical crisis and slowly recovering from one of the most turbulent periods of its modern history, there are signs that things will be better! Last summer was the best of all times in terms of visitors’ numbers. And rightly so, as all the good reasons to pick Athens as a holiday destination are still in place: Magnificent monuments, glorious museums, perfect weather, daily cultural events, clean and plentiful beach-
es, warm hospitality, delicious food, buzzing nightlife and plenty of shopping opportunities. Athens is a city of big neighborhoods, each of them vividly unique, each with its own style and codes. It is a city of often exciting contradictions. From posh, glitzy Kolonaki to alternative, bohemian Exarchia, from classy Kifissia to the sunny and outgoing Glyfada (where the 1st original WESC store is located!). Athens is also
the city of the legendary, in both basketball and football, team of Panathinaikos! So Athens, this ancient blend of cultures and subcultures, the capital of the land of democracy, philosophy and the Olympic Spirit is simply, many cities in one, each of them interesting in its own way. We’ve put together all our inside knowledge and experiences on the next couple of pages... good stuff for your daily explorations of this great city.
CITY GUIDE
[120]
RESTAURANTS
NIGHTTIME
SHOPS
Aperitivo Kyprou 70 0030 210 8940377
Pere Ubu Kyprou 74 0030 210 8941450
WeSC Concept Store Artemidos 2 0030 210 8941358 wesc.com
Egomio Kyprou 57 0030 210 8942949
Mosaiko Laodikis 30 0030 210 8983208
Zachos Grill Ermou 1 0030 210 8960352
Holy Spirit Laodikis 41 0030 210 8982650
Remezzo Ermou 1 0030 210 8964310
Minnie The Moocher Tsakalof 6 0030 210 3641686
Oinomperdemata Megalou Vasiliou 10 0030 210 3411461
Tranzistor Protogenus 10 0030 210 3228658
Dafni Megalou Alexandrou 86 0030 210 5773721
Tailor Made Agias Irinis 2 0030 213 0049645
CULTURE [+ EVENTS]
Macaroni Agias Paraskevis 2-4 0030 210 6856610
Six Dogs Avramiotou 6-8 0030 210 3210510
Sal Athens - Art & Design Studio Artakis 111 0030 211 2140308
Amore Mio Leoforos Saronidos 45 0030 22910 27005
Sempre Veaki 51 0030 210 5787043
The Art Foundation Normanou 5 0030 210 3238757
Balux Cafe Leoforos Posidonos 58 0030 210 8983577
Karamuza Perikleous 42 0030 6944 154863
Lemon Poppy Seed Protogenus 7 0030 210 3238270
WESC CONCEPT STORE
LEMON POPPY SEED
MINNIE THE MOOCHER
Prime Timers Sarantaporou 43 0030 210 5762518 Prime Timers Agias Paraskevis 3-7 0030 210 6814788 Collective Vouliagmenis 96 0030 210 9639384 Hotel El, Venizelou 28 0030 210 2725257
CITY GUIDE
[121]
TOP TO BOTTOM: SAL ATHENS ART & DESIGN STUDIO, SIX DOGS, THE ART FOUNDATION
TOP TO BOTTOM: SEMPRE, PERE UBU
TOP TO BOTTOM: REMEZZO, PRIME TIMERS
LOCATIONS
[122]
We closed out fashion week in NYC with a party at THE BOX to celebrate the launch of the SUPERLATIVE CONSPIRACY MAGAZINE NO 8. Stretch Armstrong, Nalaye and Lunice provided sweet tunes and the performances by the Box crew was of the chains! But as you know, what happens at The Box stays at The Box, so we’ll only show a hint of what went down... [photos: BFA]
[123]
LOCATIONS FOLLOW US: facebook.com/superlativeconspiracy twitter.com/WeSC1999 instagram– WeSC1999
LOCATIONS
[124]
You know us Swedes. If there is a party we are going - and if there is a festival, such as WAY OUT WEST, surrounded by the best parties of the summer, we are definitely going. However, GOTHENBURG is a long drive from Stockholm, at least 5 hours. That’s a long time without a drink for a Swede in party mode - so we made a party bus, complete with DJs and a full-grown beer from Happy Socks… don’t ask. [photos: FREDRIK ETOALL]
[125]
LOCATIONS FOR MORE [AND A LITTLE BIT MORE R-RATED]: instagram– #WeSCGOESWEST
RELEASE
[126]
Freedom is something that we all strive for and if we have it, cherish. With that in mind, we present to you the Piston Bluetooth Headphone, our first bluetooth headphone. Taking the smooth design from our Piston headphone we have removed the cables to give you the freedom you deserve. Freedom from cable knots, freedom from your handset,
freedom to move, run, skate or whatever you do whilst wearing them. With 10 hours listening time, user friendly controls and built in mic, the piston bluetooth gives you all you would expect technically and is all bundled up with that great WeSC aesthetic. The Piston Bluetooth comes in 3 colours, navy, red and black.
PISTON
[127]
RELEASE
BLUETOOTH
INSTAGRAMS
[128]
So is the instahaze over or has it just begun? Who cares... Follow the featured WeActivists below and the Global WeSC account @WeSC1999 - and don’t forget #WeSC when posting good shit you feel needs to be shared with your fellow comrades of the Superlative Conspiracy.
@ARTOFOTO [ARTO SAARI]
@BEATRICEPIRATE [BEATRICE MARTIN]
@KIREKARLSSON [KIRE KARLSSON]
@WHOPPERCOCK [ED LEIGH]
@MERCEDESHELNWEIN [MERCEDES HELNWEIN]
@FAIRFAX [BENNY FAIRFAX]
@JONASOLAWIEHAGER [JONAS WIEHAGER]
@TOVEHOLMGREN [TOVE HOLMGREN]
@JASONTMBK [TIMBUKTU]
@PETTERALEXIS [PETTER]
@JUGGABOLTZ [DANIJEL STANKOVIC]
@JORDANTRAHAN [JORDAN TRAHAN]
The name We Are The Superlative Conspiracy [WeSC] comes from the sense of unity that has always been exceptional in the skateboarding community - the creativity, the attitude and the people is what laid the foundation of WeSC. Founded by five guys with a background in skate- and snowboarding, WeSC set out to be a brand that would be a mix of streetwear and fashion; where elements of cultures such as skateboarding, art and music would be combined with fashionable design to create products that caters to the streetfashion consumer. The cornerstones of WeSC are punk mentality, creativity, community and having fun - it’s about going your own way, being proud of that and be creative. This is something that has been WeSC’s mission since day one and which is applied to all parts of the brand: the staff, the people, the stores, the design and the way we are. With activities in arts, skateboarding, snowboarding, music, acting, producing and more on a daily basis, we are proud to say that we live our brand - the WeSC way: it’s not a brand that makes clothing, it’s a lifestyle that we all enjoy and with/for causes that we support. Creativity at its’ finest.
© 2014 We International AB All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner in any media, or transmitted by any means whatsoever, electronic or mechanical (including photocopy, film or video recording, internet posting or any other information storage and retrieval system) without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Made in Sweden by WeSC Karlavägen 108, Stockholm, Sweden tel. +46 8 46 50 50 00 www.wesc.com facebook.com/superlativeconspiracy twitter.com/WeSC1999 instagram: WeSC1999
CEO: JOHAN HEIJBEL GLOBAL MARKETING DIRECTOR: HANNA LUNDGREN GLOBAL PR MANAGER: CAROLINA GAHN GLOBAL WEB MANAGER: ANNA MORIAN PRINT MANAGER: FREDRIK LINDGREN [NAVII] MAG CREATIVE DIRECTOR: TONY ARCABASCIO DOWNLOAD OUR FREE APP [AVAILABLE FOR APPLE AND ANDROID PRODUCTS] PRODUCED BY
WeSC, www.wesc.com, WeAretheSuperlativeConspiracy AND ‘THE ICON’ ARE REGISTRATED TRADEMARKS OF WE INTERNATIONAL AB®
WE A R E T HE S U PE R L AT I V E C O N S PI R A C Y www. we s c. co m
2014